Sunday, November 27, 2016

Happy Holidays?

     This time of year people start worrying about how to greet one another and hold onto what the Christmas holiday is really supposed to represent. There is a big controversy about saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". 
     I really do not understand why Christians have let the wording of a greeting become a big issue to them. We don't really know when Jesus was born, but we have "agreed" to celebrate the occasion on December 25 each year, how was that choice made?
     The same people that don't want to say "Happy Holidays" will yearly set up a Christmas Tree in their homes, never wondering where that tradition came from and they'll teach their children or grandchildren that Santa Clause will bring all good little boys and girls presents by slipping through a chimney...where did that come from? Why do they accept some things readily but are offended by the term "Happy Holidays"?
     The Christian parents and grandparents while refusing to say "Happy Holidays" to show their love of God will overload their children with gifts they don't need and neglect teaching the idea that it's better to give than to receive. The holiday becomes a focal point of material gluttony! 
     If we don't want to say the new Politically Correct greeting, let's also re-examine the other things that we have accepted for years without question. Is the purpose of Christmas really to buy junk we don't need, give the stuff to people that don't want it and will forget it by the next week? 
     I'm not asking people to give up celebrating Christmas, I'm only asking that before we take offense at a greeting, let's focus on why we celebrate Christmas and along with examing our greetings, let's reconsider how we've been celebrating it and the way we've embraced the materialistic ways of the world.  
      Let's turn the focus back to Jesus, it's supposed to be His birthday celebration...what does that have to do with Black Friday or Cyber Monday or Santa Clause for that matter? Absolutely nothing.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Facebook, Twitter, Intagram, Google Plus

     Have you ever considered the things you post on Social Media as something that you'll be held accountable for? It has really been crystallizing in my thinking lately.
     Not only will I be held accountable for what I shared, but I will also have to face the repercussions of things I have caused to happen in other people's hearts because of my posts!
     I have really started being a lot more careful and had to go back and delete some things that really weren't necessary, and not only not necessary, but downright mean spirited.
     You may think I'm being a little "legalistic" about this, but consider the warning in this scripture, "The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:35-37
     I'm sure there are some that could debate the meaning of this scripture, but that's not my desire here. I simply want to say, be careful, your words are more important than you realize.